America's Sympathy
*** President Seaborn:
You openly associate with the anti-humanist of the name of Gregory Tymes as if he were a normal human being. He is NOT. He is a vile creature who hates humans and will be an insturment of the downfall of our great race. You give him the chance by employing him in our government. Because of this, we've been brough aware of the fact that our great country no longer works. You and your family and the entire government are nothing but evil. Pure evil. You must be eliminated from the face of the Earth. Out of humane respect, you're end will be as quick as we can make it. Do not worry about that, Mr. President. I'm truely sorry about this all. But you all brought it on yourself. One of our members saw your own young son embracing Tymes as a father and friend. That was the last straw I'm afraid. May God, our great maker, have mercy on your souls. We, however, cannot. ***
POV of Lisa Morris:
DATE: 3/20/2016
On Sunday, a bunch of us attended a memorial service for the two agents killed by the Human Supremists. Reverand Jillian Moore Dennings was like the unofficial White House preacher or something. She was always doing services for those working there, chiefly because her four siblins all worked there.
I'd seen Agent Cutter around before, just like everyone else. He was on several different duties, Eagle and Osprey. He hung around the Lobby sometimes, the Oval Office. Even though we were only into our third month in the White House, the Seaborn Administration had suffered a great blow.
Greg's agent changed, Jake and his sister both took off to be with their brother during his surgery. The bullet that had hit him had done more damage than anyone had thought. But after a few surgeries, the agent would be back and ready for action, Jake assured us.
So work went about normally.
Until the letter arrived.
That letter marked us all. Now, Greg, he laughed.
"I'm vile?" he jested. "A new word. I'm no longer just evil. I'm vile too!"
Hell, I whacked him outside his head. "Well, thanks to you, the rest of us are targets now!"
I was ticked off. It really *was* his fault if you look at it. He's the one that said he hated people in the White House. Not me. Not Sean or Petey... it was him. Gregory Tymes nearly got burnt to death because of Gregory Tymes.
About half an hour after I said that, Petey came up to me and he said, "My God, Lisa. What's wrong with you? He already felt guilty. You didn't have to go yelling at him!"
Then he stalked off.
I was so... ashamed? I mean, of course, Greg must have been feeling badly. He knew that it was his remark that had started this. For a moment, I wondered why I gave a damn. Normally, I'd pan for reasons to insult Greg. But... I'd really hurt him this time. Without even meaning to.
With a heavy sigh, I walked over to his office.
His door was open so I looked in. He was sitting behind his desk, chair facing the window.
"Greg?"
He spun around to face me with a bottle of cheap beer in his hand. "Hey," Greg greeted me, his voice a bit slurred.
I sighed.
"Greg..." I looked out of the office and shouted out to Petey, "Petey! Get me a cup of coffee."
Petey had soon returned with a cup of steaming coffee and I wasn't sure if I should force it down his throat or throw it on him. Each method had different sobering effects. In the end I decided that making him drink it was the best way. Scalding him would just bring up more questions.
He drank it willingly, then I stayed with him in his dark office until he was sobered up.
"What do you want?" he asked me once he had a hold on things.
"I came to apologize," I told him. "I shouldn't have said it was your fault."
Greg dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "It really is my fault," he said. "I mean, if I hadn't said that I hated people, nothing would have happened. I'd be living back in my apartment, those two agents would still be alive, and Seaborn's kids wouldn't be scarred by their assassination attempt. You don't just get over those things you know."
I touched his hand. "Greg?" I said softly. "Are you sure you're over *your* encounter?"
"I'm alive aren't I?" Greg asked. "I'm fine. But... what if *you* were responsible for the deaths of two people and could be responsible for the deaths of many more?"
"You're not," I told him firmly.
"I am," he said back.
I sighed. "Eryk told me that you'd need me to call your psychiatrist at some point."
Greg grinned. "I'm fine. I really am," he said. Then he groaned as he stood up. "Turn that light on. We've got work to do."
"Sure thing, boss."
***
POV of Jenna Clark:
"Come on, Jenna!" White House reporter Dale Brecker shouted. "We need this story. We're running on nothing."
I sighed. "Don't you guys have better things to do on Sundays?"
"No," came the collective response.
I rolled my eyes. "Look, guys, I've told you what I can. We're looking into the attack. I can tell you that it is most definately connected to the attack on the White House Director of Communications Gergory Tymes but I am not autherized to reveal if we know the source of t he attacks."
"So you know who did it your just not telling us?" Marrisa Plank asked.
"I didn't say that," I told her.
"You didn't deny it either, Jenn," Jerry Elyzibeth Mallacoshi pointed out.
I heard a low whistle and saw Josh Lyman motion for me to come over to the door for a moment. "I'll be right back," I told them.
"You're too buddy-buddy with the press, Jenna, they're eating you alive," he remarked.
"I know," I said reluctantly. "But I *was* one of them you know. I can't exactly turn my back on that. Plus, I'm dating Bobby..."
"He's the best one out there," President Seaborn said as he walked up. "Not bombarding you with all these questions..."
I nodded. "That's true, Mr. President."
"He's gonna go out there," Josh said to me and then it hit me.
I walked back out to the podium and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome the President of the United States."
Everyone snapped to attention and stood up as he walked into the Press Room. Several cameras flashed and the reporters were all smiles, jotting down notes. There were several shouts of "Mr. President!" as he came out but he dismissed them all.
He stood at the podium for a while before the reporters settled down.
"Mr. President," Bobby said, standing up. "Are you going to release the identies people behind the attacks on Gregory Tymes and your sons?"
Seaborn nodded. "Yes, Bobby, I will," he said. "It was a humanistic cult. They believe that due to a remark by Mr. Tymes that the American Government is evil and they are striking back. Well, I'm here to tell them that we're not going to take it. You don't attempt to kill my children and my staff without and get away with it. We will find those responsible and they will be dealt with accordingly. Thank you."
There was silence for several moments. Then the press started asking questions.
"That's all," Josh said. "Thank you."
Several reporters shouted out questions as the President walked out but he didn't give them any regard. I walked back up to the podium then noticed Josh motion for me to follow them. "That's it everyone, hopefully you have enough information to write your stories now," I said and then follwed them out among several calls of "Thanks, Jenn."
***
POV of Gregory Tymes:
I'd been showed a copy of a letter that named me as the reason Simon and Donovan Seaborn had been shot at and nearly killed. It also stated that because of my employment at the White House, the entire government was subject to similiar attacks.
I typed up and handed in my resignition that morning to Josh. But he didn't accept it. I told him, "I'm resigning and that's that."
"No you're not," he replied. "Because if you just leave, it won't change things. They'll have one more victory and keep on coming after us."
Believe me, it made sense not to give in to their wishes. So I went back to work and when the others were shown the letter, I cracked a joke. Boy was that a mistake. Lisa took my head off.
She made the fact that it was all my fault stick in my mind. I needed a drink. I hadn't planned on having three of them. I just did. When she came back to apologize, I did what she told me to do to sober up. She apologized and we went back to work. End of story.
Well, I was with Josh and the President during the President's little press release. It was said with a flare of defiance, just daring those cult people to take their best shot.
I walked after Josh, Jenna and the President... and his ever present Secret Service agents.
We entered the Oval Office through the President's outer office and Mrs. C and Jeff got up and followed us in. Already waiting inside were Castor Blackwell, Wil Parks, Lisa Morris, Sean, Petey and several of our other aides.
Seaborn walked over to his desk and leaned on it. "Everyone here," he said, "is getting a Secret Service detail. You are all going to sign the papers I hand you and take a detail."
"Samuel Norman Seaborn, I will not sign a paper and take on a detail," Mrs. C said. "I'm not going to go trapsing around with a person following my every move."
Josh stiffled a laugh at Mrs. C saying the President's full name. None of the rest of us would have been able to get away with it, not even Josh.
"I've got three grandkids I'll have to look over and I don't need a man with a gun always underfoot."
Seaborn sighed. "Mrs. C, you're as much a target as the rest of us, you know?" he told her. "You're just putting those three at risk... Scott and Annie too. An agent will be there to protect the lot of you."
She looked like she might protest some more but she didn't. I was hit with guilt again. Now, Senator Wildman's children were at risk because of me as well.
The President handed out the pieces of paper he'd been talking about. They authorized three men teams on all of us. Being that Lisa and I were currently roommates, we were getting a conjoined observation team and a bodyguard each.
After everyone had signed, even Mrs. C, Seaborn dismissed everyone. Except me that is. He said, "Greg. Hang on a moment."
My heart sank. He was going to yell at me wasn't he? Be mad. "Yes, sir?"
"You do good work," he told me. "Schumer said so himself. Convinced me to keep you on."
I nodded. "I bet you're sorry you listened," I remarked.
Seaborn shook his head. "I'm not."
***
Excerpt of Several National Newspapers on March 21, 2016:
"...attacks cowardly and unprevoked in the opion of this reporter..." - Birmingham Post-Hearld
"...cowardly attack on the children of the President. This shocks the nation. Those could have been anyone's children... Three friends of the Seaborn twins were accompanying them that night... are these people so sadistic they'd gun down five innocent children in a movie theater?..." - Bradenton Hearld
"...We fully support President Seaborn's crusade to find those responsible for the attacks on his children, staffer and the new threat to the entire staff..." - Reporter's Hearld
"...America responds to the attacks in shock and utter support for the newly taken office President..." - Houston Chronicle
"...cult attacks President's twin sons at a movie theater with friends... two agents killed protecting them... The hearts of millions of Americans go out to the Presidential family and the families of those agents killed in the line of duty..." - The Flint Journal
"...President vows revenge on cult behind the attacks on his son and White House Communications Director, Gregory Tymes... America has shown full support of the President after the attacks..." - The Des Moines Register
"...Simon and Donovan Seaborn both well... attack cowardly... President to find attackers and deal with them accordingly... Here in Amarillo, Senator Dale Jasper (R) vows support to the President as does Senator Scott Wildman (R) who is in DC at the time... Texans from all over as well as all America are showing support by outrage on internet message boards and letters to the editor..." - Amarillo Globe-ros
***
From Time For Kids Magazine (3/21/2016): Interview of Mrs. Langley's 7th Grade Class by Teen Reporter Tim Galliger:
GALLIGER: Now, I'm here with Mrs. Langley's 7th Grade Class at Clear Creek Middle School, Richardson, TX.
STUDENTS: Clear Creek Crawfish!
GALLIGER: When you all heard about what happened to the President's two boys, what did you think?
STEPHANIE YOUNGS: That it could have been me and my friends.
DENIS RAZOWSKI: Yeah! How would *you* feel if someone came in and shot you while you were trying to watch a movie?
GALLIGER: What do you think of the people who did this? President Seaborn announced yesterday that it was a cult that did this.
BENJAMIN BROCKHERST: They're stupid.
JAMAL PETERS: They're like the KKK of today. Even worse if you ask me.
GALLIGER: The entire government is now the target of this cult.
YOUNGS: That's stupid.
BRITTANY DAWSON: Just because Greg Tymes said something that offended them doesn't mean he's a bad person.
GALLIGER: So do you support the President in his attempts to hunt these people down?
STEVEN DANSEN: Yup.
PETERS: Sure, do.
RAZOWSKI: I'm glad he says he's gonna find 'em. Someone goes after your kids, I'd expect you to go after them full force.
GALLIGER: Thank you all. And you Mrs. Langley.
***
*** President Seaborn:
You openly associate with the anti-humanist of the name of Gregory Tymes as if he were a normal human being. He is NOT. He is a vile creature who hates humans and will be an insturment of the downfall of our great race. You give him the chance by employing him in our government. Because of this, we've been brough aware of the fact that our great country no longer works. You and your family and the entire government are nothing but evil. Pure evil. You must be eliminated from the face of the Earth. Out of humane respect, you're end will be as quick as we can make it. Do not worry about that, Mr. President. I'm truely sorry about this all. But you all brought it on yourself. One of our members saw your own young son embracing Tymes as a father and friend. That was the last straw I'm afraid. May God, our great maker, have mercy on your souls. We, however, cannot. ***
POV of Lisa Morris:
DATE: 3/20/2016
On Sunday, a bunch of us attended a memorial service for the two agents killed by the Human Supremists. Reverand Jillian Moore Dennings was like the unofficial White House preacher or something. She was always doing services for those working there, chiefly because her four siblins all worked there.
I'd seen Agent Cutter around before, just like everyone else. He was on several different duties, Eagle and Osprey. He hung around the Lobby sometimes, the Oval Office. Even though we were only into our third month in the White House, the Seaborn Administration had suffered a great blow.
Greg's agent changed, Jake and his sister both took off to be with their brother during his surgery. The bullet that had hit him had done more damage than anyone had thought. But after a few surgeries, the agent would be back and ready for action, Jake assured us.
So work went about normally.
Until the letter arrived.
That letter marked us all. Now, Greg, he laughed.
"I'm vile?" he jested. "A new word. I'm no longer just evil. I'm vile too!"
Hell, I whacked him outside his head. "Well, thanks to you, the rest of us are targets now!"
I was ticked off. It really *was* his fault if you look at it. He's the one that said he hated people in the White House. Not me. Not Sean or Petey... it was him. Gregory Tymes nearly got burnt to death because of Gregory Tymes.
About half an hour after I said that, Petey came up to me and he said, "My God, Lisa. What's wrong with you? He already felt guilty. You didn't have to go yelling at him!"
Then he stalked off.
I was so... ashamed? I mean, of course, Greg must have been feeling badly. He knew that it was his remark that had started this. For a moment, I wondered why I gave a damn. Normally, I'd pan for reasons to insult Greg. But... I'd really hurt him this time. Without even meaning to.
With a heavy sigh, I walked over to his office.
His door was open so I looked in. He was sitting behind his desk, chair facing the window.
"Greg?"
He spun around to face me with a bottle of cheap beer in his hand. "Hey," Greg greeted me, his voice a bit slurred.
I sighed.
"Greg..." I looked out of the office and shouted out to Petey, "Petey! Get me a cup of coffee."
Petey had soon returned with a cup of steaming coffee and I wasn't sure if I should force it down his throat or throw it on him. Each method had different sobering effects. In the end I decided that making him drink it was the best way. Scalding him would just bring up more questions.
He drank it willingly, then I stayed with him in his dark office until he was sobered up.
"What do you want?" he asked me once he had a hold on things.
"I came to apologize," I told him. "I shouldn't have said it was your fault."
Greg dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "It really is my fault," he said. "I mean, if I hadn't said that I hated people, nothing would have happened. I'd be living back in my apartment, those two agents would still be alive, and Seaborn's kids wouldn't be scarred by their assassination attempt. You don't just get over those things you know."
I touched his hand. "Greg?" I said softly. "Are you sure you're over *your* encounter?"
"I'm alive aren't I?" Greg asked. "I'm fine. But... what if *you* were responsible for the deaths of two people and could be responsible for the deaths of many more?"
"You're not," I told him firmly.
"I am," he said back.
I sighed. "Eryk told me that you'd need me to call your psychiatrist at some point."
Greg grinned. "I'm fine. I really am," he said. Then he groaned as he stood up. "Turn that light on. We've got work to do."
"Sure thing, boss."
***
POV of Jenna Clark:
"Come on, Jenna!" White House reporter Dale Brecker shouted. "We need this story. We're running on nothing."
I sighed. "Don't you guys have better things to do on Sundays?"
"No," came the collective response.
I rolled my eyes. "Look, guys, I've told you what I can. We're looking into the attack. I can tell you that it is most definately connected to the attack on the White House Director of Communications Gergory Tymes but I am not autherized to reveal if we know the source of t he attacks."
"So you know who did it your just not telling us?" Marrisa Plank asked.
"I didn't say that," I told her.
"You didn't deny it either, Jenn," Jerry Elyzibeth Mallacoshi pointed out.
I heard a low whistle and saw Josh Lyman motion for me to come over to the door for a moment. "I'll be right back," I told them.
"You're too buddy-buddy with the press, Jenna, they're eating you alive," he remarked.
"I know," I said reluctantly. "But I *was* one of them you know. I can't exactly turn my back on that. Plus, I'm dating Bobby..."
"He's the best one out there," President Seaborn said as he walked up. "Not bombarding you with all these questions..."
I nodded. "That's true, Mr. President."
"He's gonna go out there," Josh said to me and then it hit me.
I walked back out to the podium and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome the President of the United States."
Everyone snapped to attention and stood up as he walked into the Press Room. Several cameras flashed and the reporters were all smiles, jotting down notes. There were several shouts of "Mr. President!" as he came out but he dismissed them all.
He stood at the podium for a while before the reporters settled down.
"Mr. President," Bobby said, standing up. "Are you going to release the identies people behind the attacks on Gregory Tymes and your sons?"
Seaborn nodded. "Yes, Bobby, I will," he said. "It was a humanistic cult. They believe that due to a remark by Mr. Tymes that the American Government is evil and they are striking back. Well, I'm here to tell them that we're not going to take it. You don't attempt to kill my children and my staff without and get away with it. We will find those responsible and they will be dealt with accordingly. Thank you."
There was silence for several moments. Then the press started asking questions.
"That's all," Josh said. "Thank you."
Several reporters shouted out questions as the President walked out but he didn't give them any regard. I walked back up to the podium then noticed Josh motion for me to follow them. "That's it everyone, hopefully you have enough information to write your stories now," I said and then follwed them out among several calls of "Thanks, Jenn."
***
POV of Gregory Tymes:
I'd been showed a copy of a letter that named me as the reason Simon and Donovan Seaborn had been shot at and nearly killed. It also stated that because of my employment at the White House, the entire government was subject to similiar attacks.
I typed up and handed in my resignition that morning to Josh. But he didn't accept it. I told him, "I'm resigning and that's that."
"No you're not," he replied. "Because if you just leave, it won't change things. They'll have one more victory and keep on coming after us."
Believe me, it made sense not to give in to their wishes. So I went back to work and when the others were shown the letter, I cracked a joke. Boy was that a mistake. Lisa took my head off.
She made the fact that it was all my fault stick in my mind. I needed a drink. I hadn't planned on having three of them. I just did. When she came back to apologize, I did what she told me to do to sober up. She apologized and we went back to work. End of story.
Well, I was with Josh and the President during the President's little press release. It was said with a flare of defiance, just daring those cult people to take their best shot.
I walked after Josh, Jenna and the President... and his ever present Secret Service agents.
We entered the Oval Office through the President's outer office and Mrs. C and Jeff got up and followed us in. Already waiting inside were Castor Blackwell, Wil Parks, Lisa Morris, Sean, Petey and several of our other aides.
Seaborn walked over to his desk and leaned on it. "Everyone here," he said, "is getting a Secret Service detail. You are all going to sign the papers I hand you and take a detail."
"Samuel Norman Seaborn, I will not sign a paper and take on a detail," Mrs. C said. "I'm not going to go trapsing around with a person following my every move."
Josh stiffled a laugh at Mrs. C saying the President's full name. None of the rest of us would have been able to get away with it, not even Josh.
"I've got three grandkids I'll have to look over and I don't need a man with a gun always underfoot."
Seaborn sighed. "Mrs. C, you're as much a target as the rest of us, you know?" he told her. "You're just putting those three at risk... Scott and Annie too. An agent will be there to protect the lot of you."
She looked like she might protest some more but she didn't. I was hit with guilt again. Now, Senator Wildman's children were at risk because of me as well.
The President handed out the pieces of paper he'd been talking about. They authorized three men teams on all of us. Being that Lisa and I were currently roommates, we were getting a conjoined observation team and a bodyguard each.
After everyone had signed, even Mrs. C, Seaborn dismissed everyone. Except me that is. He said, "Greg. Hang on a moment."
My heart sank. He was going to yell at me wasn't he? Be mad. "Yes, sir?"
"You do good work," he told me. "Schumer said so himself. Convinced me to keep you on."
I nodded. "I bet you're sorry you listened," I remarked.
Seaborn shook his head. "I'm not."
***
Excerpt of Several National Newspapers on March 21, 2016:
"...attacks cowardly and unprevoked in the opion of this reporter..." - Birmingham Post-Hearld
"...cowardly attack on the children of the President. This shocks the nation. Those could have been anyone's children... Three friends of the Seaborn twins were accompanying them that night... are these people so sadistic they'd gun down five innocent children in a movie theater?..." - Bradenton Hearld
"...We fully support President Seaborn's crusade to find those responsible for the attacks on his children, staffer and the new threat to the entire staff..." - Reporter's Hearld
"...America responds to the attacks in shock and utter support for the newly taken office President..." - Houston Chronicle
"...cult attacks President's twin sons at a movie theater with friends... two agents killed protecting them... The hearts of millions of Americans go out to the Presidential family and the families of those agents killed in the line of duty..." - The Flint Journal
"...President vows revenge on cult behind the attacks on his son and White House Communications Director, Gregory Tymes... America has shown full support of the President after the attacks..." - The Des Moines Register
"...Simon and Donovan Seaborn both well... attack cowardly... President to find attackers and deal with them accordingly... Here in Amarillo, Senator Dale Jasper (R) vows support to the President as does Senator Scott Wildman (R) who is in DC at the time... Texans from all over as well as all America are showing support by outrage on internet message boards and letters to the editor..." - Amarillo Globe-ros
***
From Time For Kids Magazine (3/21/2016): Interview of Mrs. Langley's 7th Grade Class by Teen Reporter Tim Galliger:
GALLIGER: Now, I'm here with Mrs. Langley's 7th Grade Class at Clear Creek Middle School, Richardson, TX.
STUDENTS: Clear Creek Crawfish!
GALLIGER: When you all heard about what happened to the President's two boys, what did you think?
STEPHANIE YOUNGS: That it could have been me and my friends.
DENIS RAZOWSKI: Yeah! How would *you* feel if someone came in and shot you while you were trying to watch a movie?
GALLIGER: What do you think of the people who did this? President Seaborn announced yesterday that it was a cult that did this.
BENJAMIN BROCKHERST: They're stupid.
JAMAL PETERS: They're like the KKK of today. Even worse if you ask me.
GALLIGER: The entire government is now the target of this cult.
YOUNGS: That's stupid.
BRITTANY DAWSON: Just because Greg Tymes said something that offended them doesn't mean he's a bad person.
GALLIGER: So do you support the President in his attempts to hunt these people down?
STEVEN DANSEN: Yup.
PETERS: Sure, do.
RAZOWSKI: I'm glad he says he's gonna find 'em. Someone goes after your kids, I'd expect you to go after them full force.
GALLIGER: Thank you all. And you Mrs. Langley.
***